What is an instructional designer and what is their job?

Discover if a career in instructional design is right for you.

An instructional designer is someone who creates and designs instructional methods, tools and systems that educators use to teach in the classroom. Rather than deciding what is taught, an instructional designer’s job is to decide how something is taught. 

From fully online courses to hybrid learning models, education today can be delivered through a variety of methods that meet the needs of diverse student populations. Instructional design and technology is important for developing ways to meet those needs and ensure students successfully engage with curriculum and retain the information they learn.  

Whether you're exploring how to become an instructional designer, considering an instructional design master’s degree, or researching instructional design career paths, this guide explores the opportunities available in the rapidly growing field of instructional design and technology. 

What is Instructional Design? 

Instructional design is the process of creating learning materials, courses and trainings. More than simply designing learning modules, the instructional design field involves a significant amount of research, troubleshooting, evaluation and testing to implement successful courses.  

From understanding how people learn to leveraging emerging technologies that enhance accessibility and engagement, instructional designers are responsible for creating meaningful learning experiences.  

Have you ever taken an online course and truly felt prepared to implement a new skill in a real-world setting? While the curriculum itself is important, the way a course is designed plays a major role in how effectively learners retain and apply what they learn.  

Dr. Davon Miles, faculty fellow in Belmont University’s College of Education, addresses the truth that many people do not fully understand what instructional designers do. 

“They may see the videos, courses and online activities that designers create, but they do not see the thinking that happens behind the scenes,” he said. “Instructional designers are learning architects. They study a problem, identify what learners need and design an experience that helps close the gap.” 

The instructional design field has existed for decades and is becoming more complex than it was in the past. An instructional designer is not simply someone who knows how to operate a program. Designers are architects who build learning experiences and detectives who uncover the real cause of a problem.  

Becoming an instructional designer is a great option for individuals who are exploring education technology careers and might enjoy combining creativity, technology and educational principles to develop engaging and effective training programs. 

How to Become an Instructional Designer?

Many instructional designers enter the field after working in other professions. Educators and graphic designers, for example, often have transferable skills that align well with the instructional design field, such as curriculum development, visual communication and learner engagement.

Professionals can prepare for a career in instructional design by earning an instructional design master’s degree or bachelor's degree. Those who already hold diplomas in other disciplines may choose to build their expertise through specialized certification programs. 

Skills You Need to Become an Instructional Designer 

At the heart of instructional design is a desire to improve learning outcomes by designing learning models that help students thrive. A combination of hard skills and interpersonal skills will be useful to succeed in the instructional design field. 

• Critical thinking: Instructional designers are often responsible for improving existing courses and learning experiences. This requires them to evaluate content, identify areas that may be ineffective or confusing and develop strategies to improve learning outcomes. For example, a course may contain accurate information but present concepts in a sequence that is difficult for learners to follow. Designers must assess these challenges, create a plan for improvement and implement solutions that enhance the learning experience. 

• Communication: Instructional designers regularly collaborate with curriculum administrators, leadership teams and subject matter experts. Strong communication skills are essential for presenting ideas, explaining recommended changes, facilitating training and supporting the implementation of new instructional strategies. 

• Research: Effective instructional designers use current research to guide course development and ensure learning experiences are tailored to their audiences. For example, instructional approaches for early childhood learners differ significantly from those designed for adult learners. Staying informed about emerging research helps designers create more effective and engaging courses. 

• Creativity: Instructional design is a highly creative field. Designers use creativity to develop engaging learning experiences, incorporate new teaching methods and present information in ways that support learner understanding and retention. 

• Technical skills: Technology plays a huge role in designing an instructional course, so technical skills are a must for instructional designers. It is also important for individuals to have a willingness to continuously develop their skills since technology is constantly changing. 

Skills You'll Gain as an Instructional Designer 

The skills you develop as an instructional designer will distinguish you as a valuable contributor to the educational process. 

• Design Meaningful Curriculum: Create engaging learning experiences using instructional design models, learning theories and learner-centered principles. 

• Leverage Educational Technology: Use digital tools and emerging technologies to improve accessibility, engagement and learning outcomes. 

• Manage Learning Projects: Guide projects from planning through evaluation while collaborating effectively with stakeholders. 

• Develop Effective Learning Materials: Create multimedia content and instructional resources that support knowledge retention and learner success. 

• Demonstrate Professional Leadership: Apply ethical practices, innovation and strategic thinking to solve educational challenges. 

As an instructional designer, your decisions will help learners understand information, practice new skills, receive useful feedback and apply what they learn in real situations. For organizations, strong instructional design can improve employee performance, reduce mistakes, shorten training time and help teams reach important goals.  

Careers in Instructional Design

As an instructional designer, you can find employment at schools, higher education institutions, nonprofits, organizations and corporations. Careers in instructional design span many industries, allowing professionals to apply their expertise in education, training and employee development.  

Some jobs in instructional design include:  

• Instructional Designer: Creates engaging learning materials and training programs that help learners achieve specific knowledge and skill objectives. 
  
• Learning Experience Designer: Designs learner-centered experiences that combine instructional methods, technology, and engagement strategies to improve learning outcomes. 
  
• Multimedia Specialist: Develops visual, audio, video and interactive content that enhances learning and supports training initiatives. 
  
• Curriculum or Training Specialist: Plans, develops and evaluates educational curricula and training programs. 
  
• Learning & Development Consultant: Partners with organizations to assess learning needs and recommend training solutions. 
  
• Digital Learning Strategist: Leads the planning and implementation of digital learning initiatives, leveraging technology. 
  
• eLearning Developer: Builds interactive online courses and digital learning content using authoring tools, multimedia, and instructional design principles. 

Since there is a wide range of places to be an instructional designer, specific tasks can vary depending on the setting. Several core responsibilities, however, remain consistent regardless of the industry. Common tasks include: 

• Working with subject matter experts 

• Creating learning materials based on instructional design methods and theories 

• Using technology to develop courses 

As online and hybrid learning continue to grow, instructional design and technology professionals are needed to create learning that works across classrooms, companies, nonprofit organizations and digital platforms; making learning effective, accessible and efficient across entire systems. 

There are numerous instructional design career paths available for professionals at different stages of their careers. Entry-level instructional designers may progress into senior design, project management, learning strategy or director-level positions. Specialized paths can include user experience design, performance consulting, learning analytics and organizational development.  

“Professionals entering the field must understand learning theory, design processes, project management, technology and the industry they hope to enter,” Miles said. “They also need experience working through complicated, real-world problems. Instructional designers are becoming performance strategists, not simply content creators. Employees must continually learn new skills, so organizations need designers who can create effective training that can reach many people.” 

As organizations invest more heavily in digital learning, advancement opportunities within the instructional design field continue to grow. 

Masters of Instructional Design and Innovation at Belmont University

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the exciting field of instructional design, Belmont University’s Master of Instructional Design and Innovation (MSIDI) will provide you with training that surpasses learning how to use design tools.  

“The designer connects learning to results. Students learn to ask what needs to be designed, why it is needed and how it should work,” Miles said. “Their decisions can help learners understand information, practice new skills, receive useful feedback, and apply what they learned in real situations. For organizations, strong instructional design can improve employee performance, reduce mistakes, shorten training time, and help teams reach important goals.” 

The MSIDI is designed for early- and mid-career professionals who want to enter or advance in instructional design and curriculum development. Using learning theories and design principles to solve challenges in various industries, graduates of the MSIDI enter the market with a portfolio that demonstrates how they identified a problem, made design decisions, managed the project, used technology and evaluated the results. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Instructional Design

Review some frequently asked questions about becoming an instructional designer.